Jammu: J&K Legislative Assembly on Saturday witnessed a heated argument between minister Sakeena Itoo and PDP MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para, with the former using the “milk and toffee” remark to counter the opposition leader while responding to a question over the upgrading of schools.
Itoo also held the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) responsible for the region’s downgrade to a Union territory and the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
In 2016, Mehbooba Mufti, as then CM of the erstwhile J&K, had commented at a press conference that those hit by bullets or pellets in the violent protests triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani had not gone to fetch “milk or toffees” from the Army camp.
The comment was seen as justification for the deaths that happened in the unrest.
Itoo, while responding to a question by PDP leader Rafiq Ahmad Naik regarding upgrading of schools, invoked the remark about a dozen times.
She also questioned Para about the cold stores and said, “We know who is pulling your strings and where you are getting your syllabus.”
Amid noisy scenes in the House, Para launched a counterattack on the National Conference government, as members from both the ruling party and the opposition PDP rose to their feet.
His remarks were largely drowned out in the din, but he was heard taking a swipe at the minister, saying she was holding the education portfolio despite failing to complete her MBBS course.
“The main issue here is about granting upgrades. This is everyone’s concern; mine as well. I also want schools to be upgraded and new ones to be sanctioned. However, I would like to remind them of one thing: before 2014, around 842 upgrades were carried out under the leadership of the then Omar Abdullah’s cabinet.
“But, after 2014, when the government changed and later when the PDP-BJP government came into power, all those proposals were put on hold. It is easy to make statements, to target each other, and to create a show for the public, but the reality is different,” the minister said.
She added that since 2019, there has been no recruitment in the Education department and blamed the PDP for the challenges the UT has been facing.
“Today, if we have been reduced from a State to a Union Territory, if we no longer have special status, if the powers we once had are no longer with us, there is a reason for that, and it is this (PDP) very party,” the minister said, leading to the heated arguments.
Referring to Para’s recent act of tearing and throwing papers in the House, she said, “We do not believe in theatrics…we believe in delivering practical work.”
“Who is behind you? Who is pulling your strings? We know everything,” the minister said.
On this occasion, she referred to the PDP chief’s 2016 remark and repeated it nearly a dozen times.
“We know everything; who had how many cold stores. Don’t teach us…Don’t make noise. Give an answer about the cold stores you own. Talk about the public instead of enacting a drama,” Itoo said.
